Room heating unit



Dec. .23, 1952 R. R. DUPLER ROOM HEATING UNIT 2 SI-IEETSSl-IEET 1 Filed Feb. 2, 1949 liar An? To econ:

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Dec. 23, 1952 R. R. DUPLER ROOM HEATING UNIT 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1949 H07 WATER Ta Poo/ 73;

5 M M n E m0 4 mi I V/ lw m m k\ A 7' TQRNE Y Patented Dec. 23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROOM HEATING UNIT Raymond E. Dupler, Toledo, Ohio Application February 2, 1949, Serial No. 74,142

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a heating apparatus but particularly to one which can be installed in a fireplace opening in a residence or other building so that from outward appearance, the room is equipped with a conventional fireplace but which, on the other hand, is so designed and constructed as not only satisfactorily and eificiently to heat'the room in which it is located without admitting noxious gases, but also to supply heat to other locations, and an object is to produce an apparatus of this character which is efficient in operation, simple in construction, easy to install and has the new and improved features of construction and operation hereinafter described.

For purposes of illustration but not of limitation, embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation, some parts being broken jaway for purposes of clarity, of a fireplace equipped with my heating apparatus;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional eleva tion substantially on the line 2--2 of Figure 1, showing the heating apparatus in which air is the heated medium;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the radiator structure showing particularly the bailie arrangement;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional elevation of an alternate form of heating apparatus in which water is employed as the heated medium;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view substantiallyon the line 6-6 of Figure 4:; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention shown on Figure 1 comprises a fireplace mantle I of the usual type which partially surrounds the opening such, for example, as for a. gas or wood burning fireplace. In this instance, sufiicient space is afforded to receive a heating apparatus designed generally at A. The heating apparatus in general consists of a rectangular sheet metal casing I which has a rear wall l2, a bottom wall I3 and a front wall l4 and top wall |5. In the front wall I4 is an opening I 6 rectangular in shape and of substantial size which is closed by a pair of glass doors ll of substantially the same size, each being hinged at l8 to front wall portions. The glass doors H can be swung outwardly into the room. Directly in rear of theglass doors is a pair of sheet metal doors l9 which are capable of sliding laterally in opposite directions, thereby to reveal the inside of the heater as will hereinafter appear.

2 Fixed to the upper end of each of the metal doors H3 is a pair of nuts 20, the nuts of one metal door panel having threads extending in one direction and the nuts of the other door panel having threads extending in the opposite direction, thereby threadedly to engage a shaft 2| having oppositely extending screw-threaded portions,

- so that by turning the shaft 2| in one direction,

the metal door panels l9 are shifted outwardly to uncover the opening and rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction simultaneously moves the door panels I9 toward each other to closed position. The shaft 2| is mounted on suitable bearings and a crank handle 22 accessible at one the shaft 2|.

the box 20 is a plate 25 which extends upwardly from the bottom wall l3 and thence curves for- .wardly as indicated at 26 and terminates in an upwardly extending wall portion 21 which is spaced from the upper portion of the front wall M by a plurality of vertically spaced transversely extending bafiles 28, the ends of which are alternatively spaced from the side walls of the casing as shown on Figure 1. This staggered arrangement of the baffles 28 provides for a circuitous path for the gases or products of combustion as will hereinafter appear.

Manifestly, the wall 25 provides a reflector or baffie to direct the heat rays from the heating device 23 outwardly toward the room and when the metal doors |9 are in closed position, the same ;will be accordingly heated, thereby further to radiate heat to the room without permitting the products of combustion and gases to enter the room. Spaced rearwardly of the baiile wall 25 and cooperating therewith to provide an air passage is a wall 29 which extends upwardly from the bot- ,tom wall l3 of thehousing and terminates in a rearwardly extending flange or shelf 30. A plurality of laterally spaced tubes 3| connect the ,bafile walls 25 and 29 at the lower end thereof to provide a passage for fresh air to the heating device 23. For this purpose, the rear wall 29 is spaced from the rear wall of the casing I thereby to provide a passage 32 for fresh outside air 3 for the heating device 23, such air passing through the series of tubes or passages 3|.

Supported on the shelf 30 of the wall 29 and a ledge 33 of the baffle wall 25 is an air heating unit 34. Manifestly, the air heating unit 34 may be manufactured separately as a unit and installed in position of use. Particularly as shown in Figure 3, it consists of a front wall 35, a bottom wall 36, a rear wall 31 which forms a continuation of the rear wall [2 of the casing H, a top wall 38 and end walls to provide a closed structure. Extending vertically through the rear portion of the unit is a tube 39 through which fresh air from any suitable outside source may pass downwardly through the passage between the casing wall [2 and the wall portion 29 and as above explained, passes to the heating device 23 through the tubes 3|.

Extending vertically through the upper and lower walls of the unit 34 is a series of tubes 40 which are open at their opposite ends and as will hereinafter appear. Fresh outside air or other air to be heated enters from a horizontal tube or passage 4|, passes upwardly between the walls 25 and 29 and thence through the tubes 40 toa pipe 4la from a dome-shaped fitting 42. The pipe Ma. may lead to any room or rooms to be heated, as Will be readily understood.

Spaced forwardly from the tube 39 is a vertical Wall 43 which terminates short of the bottom wall 36 and to which is secured a forward- 1y extending bafile wall 44, the free end of which is spaced from the front wall 35 of the heater unit.- Other baffle walls 45 are spaced vertically above the wall 44 and have their free ends 7 similarly spaced from the front wall 35. Extending between these walls are baffle walls 46. the free ends of which are spaced from the vertical wall 43, the uppermost of the bafiie walls 46 being spaced from the upper wall 38 thereby to afford ingress of products of combustion from between the series of baffles 28 above described. It Will thus be understood that the heated gases or products of combustion pass from the inlet 27a of the unit 34 in a tortuous path between the wall 27 and the casing wall l4 upwardly and thence downwardly between the bafile walls 44, 45 and 45 as indicated by the arrows on Figure 2. After passing between the baflle'wall 44 and the bottom wall 35 of the heater unit 34, these gases pass upwardly through the passage 41 to an outlet in the form of a pipe 48 which leads to the usual chimney or fiue as will be readily understood. It will be apparent that this tortuous flow of the hot gases from the heating device 23 results in heating the fresh air which passes to the pipe 4la as above explained. In addition, the front metallic Wall H of the casing II is accordingly heated and heat is thus radiated to the room.

As particularly shown on Figure 7, the baffle wall 25 is formed with a series of vertically extending corrugations or undulations 5| forming hills and valleys. It will further be apparent that the ceramic cellular structure of the heating device 23 is similarly vertically corrugated as indicated at 52 so that the projecting portions or corrugations of the heater may fit into the corrugations 5! of the baffle wall 25. In such position, a greater heat transfer is effected between the gas heater and the baffle wall 25 for increasing the heating eifect of the air passing upwardly to the tubes 40 for passage to the pipe Ma.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated 4 on Figures 4 to 6 is in most respects similar to that hereinbefore described, except in this form, instead of a hot air furnace, a hot water furnace is provided. The heater unit 34a is quite similar to the unit 34 above described, except that the top wall 38a is spaced above the bafiles to provide a chamber with which a pipe 10 communicates. The pipe HI extends downwardly to the bottom of the casing Ila and communicates with a chamber H so that the water which has been heated passes downwardly through the pipe 10 to the chamber 1| and thence passes upwardly through a conduit 12 provided between the upwardly disposed walls 29a and 25a to a pipe 13 which leads to radiators in the rooms to be heated.

From these radiators leads a pipe 14 which leads to a chamber 15. The lower wall of the chamber 15 is formed by the wall 29a and the rear wall indicated at 16 and leading upwardly from the wall 29a to the bottom wall 36a which forms the bottom wall of the unit 34a. The front wall of the chamber 15 is formed by an upright wall 272 which is fixed to the upper ends of the Walls 29a and 25a. The side walls of this chamber constitute the side walls of the casing Ha. The water is heated by the heating device 2311 similar to the heating device 23 above described and similarly suspended, the products of combustion passing through the 'tortuous path as above described, and fresh air is supplied to the heating device 23a in the same manner as above described.

It will further be noted that the baffle Wall 25a is similarly corrugated as is also the rear face of the heater unit 23 for the purpose above described. In this instance, however, the baffie wall 25a extends also along a portion of the side Walls as indicated in Figure 6 in the region of the pilot burners 64a. Manifestly, in this form also the front metallic doors as well as the front wall portion of the casing Ila are heated thereby to supply radiant heat to the room in which the heating apparatus is located.

From the above description, it will be manifest that I have produced an eificient heating apparatus which when installed closely resembles the usual wood or gas burning fireplace so that from an appearance standpoint, one would hardly detect that in rear of the usual fireplace mantle, is a heating unit capable not only of satisfactorily heating the room in which it is located, but also of furnishing heat to other quarters or rooms of the building. The compactness of the apparatus is a particular advantage and as'will be apparent, quite complete use is made of the heat from the gases or products of combustion. It will further be clear that the assembly is relatively inexpensive both from the standpoint of construction and installation, particularly in new building structures, although the same can be installed without much difficulty and expense in existing structures.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Heating apparatus comprising a casing provided with an opening at thefront thereof, means within said casing providing a vertically disposed conduit for fiuid to be heated, means providing a fluid inlet passage extending to the lower portion of said conduit for delivering thereto fiuid to be heated, a fuel burning heating device arranged in front of said conduit, means for supplying air to said heating device, a' heat exchange device disposed above said conduit, said heat exchange device having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being arranged to receive the products of combustion from said heating device, a flue communicating with said outlet, said heat exchange device including a series of baflle elements arranged to cause the hot air and products of combustion from said heating device to pass in a tortuous manner from said inlet to said outlet, a series of vertically disposed open ended tubes in said heat exchange device and extending through. said baflle elements for the passage of fluid to be heated, and an outlet fluid passage, said open ended tubes communicating at opposite ends respectively with said vertical conduit and said outlet fluid passage.

2. Heating apparatus comprising a casing provided with a transparent Wall portion at the front thereof, means within said casing providing a vertically disposed conduit for fluid to be heated, means providing a fluid inlet passage extending to the lower portion of said conduit for delivering thereto fluid to be heated, an open flame gas burning heating device arranged between said.- transparent wall portion and said conduit, the front wall of said vertically disposed conduit being formed with vertically disposed corrugations, vertically disposed corrugations in the rear portion of the heating device adapted to fit into the corrugations in said conduit wall, means for supplying air to said heating device, a heat exchange device disposed above said conduit, said heat exchange device having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet being arranged to receive the products of combustion from said heating device, a flue communicating with said outlet, said heat exchange device including a series of baffle elements arranged to cause the products of combustion from said heating device to pass in a tortuous manner from said inlet to said outlet, a series of vertically disposed open ended tubes in said heat exchange unit and extending through said baffle elements for the passage of fluid to be heated and an outlet fluid passage, said open ended tubes communicating at opposite ends respectively with said vertical conduit and said outlet fluid passage. 3. A heating apparatus for mounting in a fire place of a room comprising a substantially rectangular casing having a front opening, a heating device in said casing in rear of said opening, means in said casing providing a fresh air inlet to said heating device, means providing a tortuous outlet passage in the upper portion of said casing for products of combustion to pass from said heating device, means providing an inlet passage in the lower portion of said casing for admitting fluid to be heated, means leading upwardly directly in rear of the heating dew'ce for conducting fluid from said inlet passage, means providing an outlet passage from said casing for fluids heated thereby and a plurality of tubes extending through saidtortuous outlet passage and around which products of combustion may pass, said tubes connecting respectively with said upwardly leading means and said last outlet passage.

RAYMOND R. DUPLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 615,193 Nix Nov. 29, 1898 677,542 Heitland July 2, 1901 1,370,368 Schlotzhauer Mar. 1, 1921 1,681,995 Miles Aug. 28, 1928 1,726,854 Mumford Sept. 3, 1929 2,048,675 Baruch et al. July 28, 1936 2,075,161 Baruch et al Mar. 30, 1937 2,270,940 Elmore Jan. 27, 1942 2,407,590 Vineberg Sept. 10, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 179,683 Great Britain May 16, 1922 423,312 Great Britain Jan. 30, 1935 441,623 Great Britain Jan. 23, 1936 468,691 Great Britain July 6, 1937 

